Formula 1 is in Montreal, Canada this weekend for the Canadian Grand Prix. One of the fastest circuits on the 2013 F1 Calendar. Here are the F1 broadcast times for the weekend:
Free Practice 1: Friday 16:00
Free Practice 2: Friday 20:00
Free Practice 3: Saturday 16:00
Qualifying: Saturday 19:00
Race: Sunday 20:00
(All times GMT+2)
As always catch all the live commentary on Twitter @F1_Madness.
The Caterham F1 Team looks ahead to the Canadian Grand Prix. Here are their Montreal preview quotes.
Charles Pic: “Straight after Monaco it’s on to another French speaking race as we go to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. Last year was my first time racing in Canada and I have to say it was one of the best races of the year, maybe not so much for the final result but for the atmosphere on track which was really good. We go to a few races where the track is full of fans from Thursday morning, and Montreal is one of those. I guess having Jacques and Gilles Villeneuve as locals to have supported in the past means F1 is very special to fans in Montreal, but whatever the reasons, they love F1!
“On track it’s a very good challenge. It’s a semi-street circuit, with the barriers very close for most of the lap, and it’s a very technical circuit. The track surface is smooth and on Friday morning there’s very little grip. It does evolve over the weekend but it’s still hard on tyres all weekend so managing deg levels is going to be even more important than normal. It’s also very hard on brakes – there’s a couple of very heavy braking zones and you need to be able to really attack those to get the best laptime in, so we’ll also be working a lot in the practice sessions on maximising braking stability and, depending on what the weather does, brake cooling.
“You also need to be able to attack the kerbs, both to maintain speed and to save time, so that’ll be another area we’ll look at in FP1 and FP2, making sure we can really hit the kerbs hard without losing stability and balance. If you get all that right it’s a very satisfying feeling when you get to the end of the lap as it’s quick, a lap that feels really good in an F1 car!”
Giedo van der Garde: “Next up it’s Canada, a track I’ve never raced at but one I went to last year with Caterham as Reserve Driver. I sat in on all the briefings and debriefs last year so I have quite a bit of information about what it’s going to be like from 2012, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time on my sim at home trying the track, but you obviously don’t really know what it’s like until you drive around it, but it will only take a couple of laps to get used to it.
“What I do remember from last year was how hardcore the fans are in Montreal! We have a couple of big North American sponsors, so the team had a lot of guests in the paddock and in the grandstands, but I remember that from early on Thursday morning the whole place was packed! In the city itself it was the same – there’s one street where the whole place is shut down for the race weekend and we had a team dinner there on the Saturday night. It was a fantastic atmosphere, a lot like it is at home in Holland for big sports events, so I felt really comfortable there and am excited about getting back, this time to race!
“On track I think it’ll be interesting to see where we are after Monaco. I was glad to bring the car home, but after the best Saturday of the year so far we obviously wanted to finish higher up. Even with that, there were some good signs in the race that we are making decent progress. Personally, for me it was another step in the learning curve, and for the team in general we saw that we’d fixed the rear wing issue we’d found in Barcelona, and had enough pace to get the car into Q2 and to record one of the fastest laps in the race in the early stages. Montreal is a medium to low downforce track and with the constant updates we’re making to the package we took to Spain, I think we could be ok.”
The Marussia F1 Team Preview Quotes ahead of the 2013 Canadian Grand Prix.
Jules Bianchi: “I was hoping for better things at my home race last weekend but now I am fully focused on the races ahead, not looking back. Canada is one of the races I have been most looking forward to all season and I have heard a lot of things about the track and the fantastic city of Montreal. Having been in the simulator this week I feel excited for the weekend, although I think we can expect to be challenged by the demands of the circuit characteristics. The last race was the first retirement of the season for myself and the Team, which is disappointing after such a good run of 10 car finishes in 10 races until then. It seems to be an isolated problem, so we look forward to getting back to full reliability and continuing to push forwards.”
Max Chilton: “I’m looking forward to my Canadian Grand Prix debut and returning to the learning experience of an unknown track. From what I know and have seen in the simulator, this is one of those circuits that will keep the drivers and the engineers fully occupied by the engineering challenge, as there is such a careful balance to strike between the low and higher downforce sections of the track, at the same time as managing brakes and tyres. After a good result in Monaco I am hopeful that we can carry that momentum forward and enjoy a positive weekend.”
John Booth, Team Principal: “Everyone at the Marussia F1 Team thoroughly enjoys the Canadian Grand Prix experience, although the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has not necessarily favoured our car on our three previous visits. We are hopeful that we can turn that corner in Montreal next weekend. It has been quite a tight turnaround after Monaco to prepare the cars for the freight but they leave this weekend and in the intervening period before we arrive we’ll continue to evaluate a frustrating Monaco and try to get a good head start for the race ahead. Canada always throws up quite a few challenges – a technically demanding track, variable weather and the rather more unusual concern over groundhogs. The one thing we were pleased with in the last race was our result and relative performance, so we’ll be happy to continue building on that next weekend.”
The Sauber F1 team preview the upcoming 2013 Canadian Grand Prix. Quotes from Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Gutierrez and Tom McCullough, Head of Track Engineering for the Sauber F1 team.
Nico Hulkenberg: “The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is one of my favourites. It’s a challenging track with a mixture of a permanent racetrack and a street circuit. It has some tight sections that don’t allow for any mistakes. I like the whole layout and, in particular, the kerbs. The atmosphere on Ile Notre-Dame is always great and the whole city of Montreal welcomes Formula One. It’s a very nice Grand Prix, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Esteban Gutierrez: “So far I have driven once at the track on Ile Notre-Dame, and that was in 2007 in Formula BMW. It went quite well with one podium finish and a fourth place. It’s a really nice circuit and I like it a lot. The track is slippery and tyre management will yet again be very important, which gives us an opportunity to put a good strategy together. Obviously overtaking will be easier than in Monaco, which can benefit us. It’s hard to judge how competitive we will be, as it will also depend on the weather. Hopefully with better conditions we can have a more consistent weekend, which will help us to progress and make the most of our potential.”
Tom McCullough, Head of Track Engineering: “The Montreal circuit is very narrow and has walls very close to the track. It typically produces one of the most exciting races of the season and a Safety Car is highly likely. The circuit is comprised of long straights and slow speed corners, which encourage overtaking, and also contribute to it being one of the hardest for the brakes. The circuit efficiency requires a lower drag level rear wing compared to Monaco, but you still need a strong car in low speed corners. This year the medium compound replaces the soft as the prime tyre, while the option remains as the super soft. Pirelli has also announced we will have a new rear construction to evaluate on Friday before its planned race introduction at Silverstone.”
Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean with their preview quotes ahead of the 2013 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix.
Kimi Raikkonen:
Q: What are your feelings after Monaco?
Kimi Raikkonen: We had a bad result on Sunday in Monaco; that was clear for anyone to see. It could have been even worse, but it could have been much better as well. We came out with one point so at least we got something back after losing the solid fifth place, but that’s not much consolation. The car felt good for qualifying and the race which is a positive as it was another circuit – and a difficult circuit – where we’ve been able to have the car pretty much as we wanted. We still lack just a little bit of speed in qualifying sometimes, but our race pace was good again; not that you can show that when you’re stuck behind slower cars like we saw in Monaco. We don’t know how the car will be in Montreal – we will have the answer to that question soon – but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be competitive again.
Q: It was quite some fightback you made at the end of the race…
Kimi Raikkonen: Well, that was a bit different as I had fresh tyres and we should never have been in that position in the first place, but it was good to at least get a point at the end. In a way, it almost makes it more frustrating as when we had the clean air after the pit stop it was probably the first time you saw how quick our car really was.
Q: You were pretty frustrated after the race?
Kimi Raikkonen: No-one wants to lose so many points thanks to the actions of another driver, but that race is over; Monaco is just a distant memory and I’m all ready for Canada.
Q: What’s your opinion of Canada?
Kimi Raikkonen: I have won there which was pretty good, but I have experienced some setbacks there as well. Many times the race has been quite a lottery as there seem to be different things which affect it. The weather can change a lot, sometimes the tyres or the track aren’t working very well, sometimes there are a lot of safety cars, or sometimes another driver runs into the back of you when you’re waiting at a red light. As for the place itself, I’ve always liked Montreal. It is one of the nicest cities we visit all year.
Q: What do you need for a good result in Canada?
Kimi Raikkonen: A good car. Like at every circuit you need to get the set-up exactly right. You need a well-balanced chassis in the medium downforce configuration and you don’t want to be too hard on brakes as there’s a lot of aggressive braking there. It’s something I quite enjoy, the stop and go style of the circuit.
Q: Is Montreal another circuit where qualifying is crucial?
Kimi Raikkonen: Qualifying is important at every circuit, but not as essential as it was in Monaco to get a good result. It’s not easy to get past, but there are one or two places to overtake.
Q: What are your thoughts on the championship after losing ground to Sebastian Vettel?
Kimi Raikkonen: For sure we lost ground on the lead in Monaco, but it’s not over yet. It’s still early in the season and 21 points behind is not too much to catch up; especially if Sebastian has a bad weekend too at some point. The most important thing is that we return to our race level before Monaco to get things going our way as soon as possible.
Romain Grosjean:
Q: It was an eventful weekend for you in Monaco… what are your thoughts now you’ve been able to reflect?
Romain Grosjean: It was certainly a rollercoaster, and one where we could have achieved a lot more with the pace of the car. No-one wants to make contact with the barriers at Monaco and it’s a fine balance between going fast and going too fast; there’s such a tiny margin for error as I found out. The positives are that we significantly improved the car again to make it more predictable over the weekend and that helped me a lot. I think we had the pace to be in the top three, but unfortunately we didn’t get the qualifying position we wanted and it’s almost impossible to move up the order in Monaco. I got caught out behind Daniel [Ricciardo] and will have to suffer quite a harsh penalty of ten places on the Montreal grid, but we’ll be working hard to devise the best strategy to work back up the order.
Q: You said you’d buy your crew some drinks for all the work they put in over the Monaco weekend; have you had a chance to do this yet?
Romain Grosjean: Not yet, but I’ll treat them to a special dinner later in the year; hopefully when we’ve got something good to celebrate.
Q: Last year you went from seventh to second in Montreal; can you repeat that kind of performance in 2013?
Romain Grosjean: Yes, last year we had a fantastic result at this race and we’ll certainly be trying for a fantastic result once more. For sure it will be a bit more difficult with the penalty, but we’ll take the challenge and do the very best we can.
Q: 2012 was your first time racing in Montreal, but you learnt the track pretty well?
Romain Grosjean: The track is interesting; not an easy one to learn, but as we say most of the time if you have a good result then you like the track! I’d certainly like to finish this year’s race on the podium again; that would be a good record to maintain. The city’s great too. People speak French, the place is lively, there are some great restaurants and everybody is really welcoming.
Q: Have you raced the circuit in any other form?
Romain Grosjean: It’s true that it’s my favourite circuit on the Xbox, though it’s certainly bumpier in real life than sat at home on your sofa!
Q: You like street circuits and were quick in Monaco; can we expect more of the same pace at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve?
Romain Grosjean: I enjoy the sensation of being close to the walls; although as I learnt this year in Monaco… I don’t enjoy the sensation of being too close to the walls! Montreal is different from Monaco as there are some long straights and big braking moments. The track surface can also present challenges as we’ve seen in past seasons, so it will be interesting to see what the grip level is like this year. Finally, the weather in Montreal can be quite changeable as we’ve seen many times. I’m sure it’ll be a challenging and exciting Grand Prix.
Q: Does the Canadian event present any particular challenges, being a long haul amidst the European season?
Romain Grosjean: I arrive a little earlier to help beat the jet lag. Sometimes the challenge of beating the jet lag and getting a decent sleep can be as hard to solve as finding the right setup for the car! I’ll be getting plenty of exercise and hopefully getting some good sleep at the right time too!
Q: It’s been a mixed season for you so far; how would you assess it?
Romain Grosjean: On paper it’s not as good as we would have wanted it to be, but I’m happy with all my performances so far except for Monaco. I have been doing my best every time, the pace is there and every time we manage to improve the car. I just have to keep doing my best and see where we go from there.
The McLaren team preview quotes ahead of the upcoming 2013 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, with Jenson Button, Sergio Perez and Martin Whitmarsh.
Jenson Button: “I’ve always enjoyed the Canadian Grand Prix – Montreal is one of the nicest cities on the calendar, we’re always made to feel welcome by the Quebecois, and it’s a race that everyone in Formula 1 looks forward to.
Like Monaco, the Canadian Grand Prix can be something of an enjoyable lottery – but whereas Monaco is a low-speed, high-grip place, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is the opposite: high-speed and low-grip. It’s a mix that always comes together to provide the fans with great racing, which is another reason why it’s become one of the most popular races of the year.
Going back to Canada always brings back happy memories of my race there in 2011. Coming through from last to first really does show that anything’s possible in Formula 1. While we won’t be heading to Montreal with a winning package, we’re making steady progress, and there’s always that added motivation that you can pull off a surprising result at this race.
Sergio Perez: “There may not be much to show from Monaco, but it was another positive race for me – we had stronger pace throughout the weekend, and I felt that I raced hard and fairly, earning my positions the hard way – by competing for, and winning, them on the track.
There are plenty of positives to take forward to Canada. It’s a race I enjoy – I finished on the podium there last year; and I feel like the team is bringing performance to the car at every race. Although we’re still not where we need to be, I hope the Montreal weekend will be another step. At the very least, I think we can have a good weekend – it’s a race that can reward a fighter because it’s often so unpredictable.
For me, racing in Canada is always special because it’s one of the three races closest to my home in Mexico. As in Austin last year, I hope there’ll be plenty of Mexican fans travelling up to Montreal to support me during my first Canadian Grand Prix for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.”
Martin Whitmarsh, team principal: “McLaren has always gone well in Canada – we’ve won 13 Canadian Grands Prix – and while we’re not heading to Montreal next week with a realistic shot at victory, we well know that this is a race where an unexpected result is always possible.
The Canadian Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the Formula 1 calendar, and a race that the whole paddock enjoys. It’s a showcase for F1 at its best – the track has a natural flow that encourages bold driving, but which punishes mistakes with narrow run-offs and uncompromising concrete walls. The track surface is abrasive and relatively gripless, and the long back straight is perfect for lengthy slipstreaming battles and overtaking.
In addition, the Canadian and North American fans are passionate and knowledgeable about the sport – it’s one of those races that’s packed-out from Thursday to Sunday, and filled with a varied and exciting support race timetable.
It’s one of the best races of the year.”
A dramatic finish to a dramatic race for Ayrton Senna in Montreal at the 1989 Canadian Grand Prix. One of Senna’s best ever performances in the wet despite the result which saw Senna not able to finish the race with a blown engine – after building up a lead of over 20 seconds! This is a perfect demonstration of why Ayrton Senna became known as the Rainmaster. He even made driving on slicks in the wet look easy!
Pirelli have announced that they will be supplying a revised specification F1 tyre for Friday’s Free Practice at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The new revised P Zero White medium compound will only be available in Friday’s Practice Sessions to all the teams and not for the entire race weekend. The new specification tyres, according to Autosport, will feature a 2012-style kevlar belt rather than the steel belt used in the current race tyres. The new specification F1 tyres will make their race debut at the British Grand Prix.
The priority for the modifications were to reduce tyre wear on the 2013 F1 tyres. The modifications will now focus more on the tyre construction in order to prevent the tread of the tyre coming off the structure. There will also be a slight modification to wear characteristics but they will not be as significant as originally intended.
Each team will receive two sets to test the new rubber in Friday Practice.
“Following feedback from the teams and drivers, the new specification of F1 tyre is then set to be introduced from the British Grand Prix at the end of June, and will remain in place until the end of the year,” said Pirelli.